I was still sitting in the same hospital chair 6 hours later, at 8:30. I hadn't really slept, only drifted off a few times to have terrible nightmares about Fang dying and things so horrible I don't even wanna talk about. Mr. Ride had showed up at about 3:30 or so last night (or would that be this morning?) and Mrs. Ride had explained everything to him. He'd given me a hug too, since they were basically like second parents to me. Is it sad that I see Fang's dad more than mine?

I ran to the bathroom to splash some water on my face to wake me up and clean my face a little. I looked up into the mirror and my eyes were slightly bloodshot and had big purpleish bags underneath them. I looked like a mess. Any traces that I had looked nice to go out with Fang were gone and I looked like I hadn't slept in a month. My mom had brought Angel to my house and Ella had let Iggy and Ben and everyone know what had happened. They were gonna wait and see what happened and were planning to visit him but they all knew I'd been here since last night.

Finally at about 12, the same doctor from last night came out still holding his notes and looking even more exhausted now. It was hard to tell if he looked like he was gonna give us good or bad news, and all three of us stood up at the same time eager for anything he could tell us.

As last night he asked if we wanted good or bad news first, and we decided to hear the bad news first and wait for the good news. He sighed, "Well we lost him during the operation," the gray-haired doctor began and I stared at him. What? No. No. No. How did we lose Fang? We can't. No. That was all I could process. No was just repeating itself through my head. I gaped at him. His parents just stood there in shock, his dad putting an arm around his mom. "However, your son is a fighter. He came back after 30 minutes or so. And then, the scarier part was we lost him again. His heart stopped beating, and the blood flow around his body stopped most likely due to the fractured artery and vein. But he pulled through again. He's currently unconscious but he came back twice and everyone thought he would wind up in a coma but he didn't. You are very lucky people, and are truly blessed."

He was alive. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I realized that he had come back. Twice. He died twice last night but came back. If he had survived that he would survive anything. I was convinced of that. Now don't get me wrong, I'm strong. I'm tough. But how could I not cry? Think of it as a trademark of how much I cared.

I looked over and his mom was crying softly into Mike's (Fang's dad) shoulder and he had a warm hand on her back. I Mr. Ride was trying to hide it, but I know I saw a few tears leak out of his eyes.

Something in the doctor's face changed when he saw us all crying over Fang. "The good news is that the surgery was successful and that he made through and is unconscious now. But as of now the surgery will be okay but he will have certain limitations on what he can do anymore when relating to physical activity but we can go over that later. But what's important is that you can see him now if you wish."

I could see him! We all stood patiently as the doctor led us to the back room where Fang was even though I could tell we were all about to go crazy. I'd been here for almost 10 hours and hadn't even seen him yet. No one had.

We all went in at the same time and I almost started crying again when I saw Fang's body looking broken on the hospital cot. His eyes were closed, and he had a few stitches covered by a small bandage on his forehead in the corner, and his chest was being supported by certain bandages and all this stuff as he laid there. An IV drip was attached to his right forearm, but aside from that he looked to be in okay condition. I mean not necessarily good or anything considering he'd lost tons of blood and gone through a major surgery, but he just looked like Fang. I'd even volunteered to give blood but they took a sample and apparently I was the wrong blood type which sucked. I wanted to do anything I could to help him get better.

After a few minutes, I told Fang's parents they could be alone with him and they could take as much time as they needed. After all it was there son and if he'd been my son I would've wanted some time alone. See I'm just great when it comes to caring about other people's feelings.

They stayed in there for about 30 minutes with Fang, and I patiently waited outside making sure they got as much time and privacy as they needed. Once they were done they came out looking incredibly relieved and sad yet happy.

"Thank you Max," they both said, and I really don't even know why they thanked me. I hardly did anything lifesaving.

I went in by myself, and pulled a chair over from the table next to his bed where I sat down. He looked even worse up close, beat up and worn down but he was still Fang. I sat there in silence for a few minutes and then I grabbed his hand and just held it while I sat there. I just sat next to him, holding his hand and listening to the shallow but steady beating of his heart from the monitor. I squeezed his hand a little bit tighter than how I'd been holding it and his heart rate actually sped up a little. Soon it went back down but I smiled as I watched the chart of his heart and I noticed it was becoming less steady.

After about 15 minutes of me sitting there silently just holding his hand and watching him the most amazing thing ever happened. I was leaning over him just listening to him breathing when he stirred a little. Then a few seconds later he stirred a little more. I freaked out and probably had some big goody grin on my face. I just held his hand tighter as his eyes fluttered open for the first time. He wasn't even supposed to have woken up for the rest of the day.

"Doctor!" I called, "He's waking up!" I really didn't want him to like barge in on my first time with Fang awake but I figured it might be a tad important that they know he's up.

I turned back to Fang whose eyes had finally adjusted to the bright hospital lights and white walls of his new room. Once he was fully awake, I leaned down and kissed him right on the lips. It wasn't a hot kiss, it was light and sweet but not deep or anything since I didn't wanna like break him. I mean he was kinda fragile.

Once I pulled back, I saw him look up at me glowing. I wanted to just hug him or something but I was afraid I'd hurt him.

"Hi Max," he said looking straight at me.

"Hi Fang," I paused, "I don't even know what to say. You took that bullet for me and you almost died. You did die. Twice. Thank you." I looked at him to see what he was thinking, but him being Fang it was still impossible to tell.

"Why are you thanking me?" he asked quietly.

"Because you died for me. I mean I would do the same for you in a second, but it's just…I don't know. You're the strongest person I know," I told him and I felt my eyes start to get hot. I couldn't tell if I was gonna cry or not, but before I knew it a single tear had rolled down my cheek.

His face froze, "No Max, don't cry." He looked really upset and I felt so bad that no I was making him upset. He reached his hand up and softly brushed away the few tears on my face. "I love you. All I want is for you to be happy."

"I'm happy as long as you're alive and here with me," I told him. Yeah I know it's cheesy but whatever, it's true. "You had me a little worried," I added with a relieved smile. Thankfully my eyes had dried and I didn't shed any more tears that day. For a while actually. Like I said before, crying's really not my thing.

"You had us all a little worried," the doctor that I'd met twice now said sounding more relaxed than he had before. Fang's parents followed the doctor since they'd all heard me call that he was awake now. Fang' parents were thrilled and each gave him a hug and sat around him.

"Well," the doctor began, "you're going to have to stay here for a few more days and then I can release you to go home. But you won't be able to do heavy physical activity until I give you a date after your next appointment. You may go swimming in 3 weeks after the stitches are out. You're a fighter son; most people wouldn't have gotten a bullet wound that close to the heart and lived to tell about it. It'll make one hell-of-a story though." I decided that I liked this doctor. Fang smiled but it came of as more of a grimace with all the pain he was in.

Once the doctor had left, Fang's parents and I stayed with Fang talking to him until he fell asleep. They called my mom to thank her for watching Angel and she decided to come to the hospital and brought Angel with her.

By the time they'd gotten there, Fang was awake again and talking.

"Fang!" the sweetest voice ever called sounding afraid as she ran over.

"Hi Angel," Fang said softly gathering her up in his arms.

"You'll be okay right?" she asked her bright blue eyes wide and frightened at seeing her strong Fang all broken and in the hospital.

He nodded, reassuring her. "I'll be able to leave in a few days."

Relief flooded her pale face, but she still seemed worried, "Promise?"

He nodded again holding out his pinky for her to pinky promise. It was hard to remember how young she really was and seeing her this upset made her look much younger. "You can thank Max, she kinda saved me," he said sending a wink my way.

I shook my head; it was the opposite, "No. Fang got hurt just to protect me Angel. He risked his life for me, but I know he would do the same for you," I explained throwing an arm around her scrawny little shoulders. She nodded giving me a big smile.

She got up on her tip toes and whispered in my ear, "He really likes you Max. He told me and he's been happier more."

I laughed gently and leaned back to whisper in her ear, "Well I think he might like you more. You'll always be his little girl."

Her face lit up and she whispered one more time, "He can love us the same!" She paused spreading her hands out really far, "This much!"

I grinned down at her cute little face and nodded pleased with her idea. I told her I agreed and she clapped her hands happily. I slanted my gaze over to Fang who seemed completely at ease watching his sister. I could tell she meant the world to him and he would never be able to lose her. He'll always be that one over protective brother. His smooth face seemed lighter and happier just watching her get excited. It was part of that other side to Fang that I rarely saw.

I told Fang's parents that I was gonna stay at the hospital again tonight but that they could go home if they wanted. My mom was still taking care of Angel until Fang could come home or his parents would be home all the time. They gladly took me up on my offer, no matter how much they loved their son they needed to get home and take care of a lot things.

I sat in the chair that was still pulled up next to Fang's bed and I took his hand and just sat there closing my eyes. As I was getting tired, I leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, making sure not to wake him. I finally drifted off into a much needed sleep.

-LINE BREAK-

FPOV

Everything hurt. The pain was mostly in my chest and my head constantly throbbed but I didn't complain. I was lucky to even be alive. They say I died. Twice. But I came back every time. I know this is gonna sound crazy, but it probably would've been better and easier if I'd just died. Well for me at least. A lot faster and less painful. But there were too many people I cared about though and I couldn't die on them. Not Max. Not Angel. Not my parents. They'd already gone through so much.

I looked over and my hand was cradled in one of Max's as she slept. She looked exhausted, and she'd been through a lot.

Max.

Despite all the pain I was in, and the constant medication I would need to take and everything I was going through again, there is no way I would ever considered not doing it. If the same thing happened again I would instantly throw myself between Max and the bullet. I would give my life any day for hers. It didn't occur to me to not take that bullet; it just didn't.

We'd been on our way back to our houses when something just felt off. It was eerily quiet, even for that road, and the wind rustling through the leaves sounded like a warning or something. And just for the record, no I do not have a concussion. I don't know how to explain it. When there's such an imminent threat of danger I can tell, it's as simple as that. I started to pay attention to all the details very closely because I knew no matter what happened I would protect Max. After a few seconds, I noticed a dark man, dressed in all dark clothes on the storetop of the pizza place on our left. The close I looked he seemed to be holding a rifle, or gun or something. Right when I saw him move and take aim, I threw myself tackling Max in the process but then everything went black. And that's pretty much all I remember.

I looked over at her. She was a mess, but she was still stunning. She had some crazy ability to always look pretty no matter where she was or what she was doing. She was stubborn as hell and could be the most annoying person on the face of the Earth but she was Max, and I loved her and all of her stupid, stubborn qualities. She was just…Max.

I pulled her hand a little tighter in to mine and leaned back, and instantly fell asleep from all of this crazy medication I was on.